Question

Which of the following is FALSE about a mushroom

A. it contains haploid, dikaryotic, and diploid cells

B. it was produced mostly by mitosis

C. meiosis occurs in some of its cells

D. the cells at the base of the stalk (with dirt on them) are diploid

E. it produces spores

Answer 1

D. the cells at the base of the stalk (with dirt on them) are diploid.

These cells are dikaryotic. Only basidium is diploid in mushroom.

Mushroom is the fruiting body of the fungus basidiomycota.

This fungus produce haploid spores called basidiospores. The haploid (n) basidiospores will form tube like structures called hyphae by mitotic division and many hyphae branch out into root like network in the soil called primary mycelium. When two compatible hyphae (+ and - mating type hyphae) encounters each other, their cytoplasm fuse to form a dikaryotic mycelium (dikaryotic (n+n)- only cytoplasm will fuse, two haploid nucleus will remain separate inside the cell). This is called a secondary mycelium. From this fruiting structures called mushrooms will rise above the soil. This has a umbrella like structure called cap connected to the soil via stalk or stipe. Underneath the cap there are lots of gills. The gills are lined by cells called basidia and the nuclei in this cell fuse to form a diploid cell. This cell will undergo meosis to produce haploid basidiospores and the life cycle continues.